Cleaning apparatus for cages



Sept. 26, 1967 H. BIEHL CLEANING APPARATUS FOR CAGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1966 H. BIEHL CLEANING APPARATUS FOR CAGES Sept. 26, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1966 United States Patent 3,343,522 CLEANING APPARATUS FOR CAGES Heinrich Biehl, Witzhave, near Hamburg, Trittau, Germany Filed Feb. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 530,115 Claims priority, application Germany, July 21, 1965, B 82,930 1 Claim. (Cl. 119-22) The invention relates to rearing arrangements for animals, especially young pigs, which comprise cages arranged in several stories and which are adapted to be set up in an air-conditioned space, the cages being arranged in at least one row in each story.

Up to now, such rearing arrangements required that a large proportion of the total space available be left vacant in order to permit thorough cleaning of the cages. As a result of the relatively great density of occupation of such rearing arrangements with a large number of cages, considerable amounts of excreta are produced and the expenditure of labour on cleaning operations has hitherto been considerable. If, in order to reduce this expenditure of labour, the rearing arrangements were cleaned less frequently hygienically unsatisfactory conditions resulted, and this unfavorably affected rearing results. Furthermore, because of the soaking of the cage bottoms, it was necessary to maintain a relatively high temperature in the air-conditioned space resulting in raised operating costs.

The invention is based on the problem of overcoming the disadvantages mentioned above and of providing a rearing arrangement with which little space is required for cleaning, the expenditure of labour on cleaning is appreciably reduced and a hygienically satisfactory state can readily be maintained in the cages.

According to the invention there is provided a rearing arrangement in which the floors of the cages consist of openwork members, a flat tray being provided under each set of cages, for the reception of excreta dropping through the openwork members, a cleaning member being provided for each tray, and each tray and cleaning member being movable relative to each other by means of a driving mechanism, a dispensing device for a cleansing fluid and and outlet for excreta and cleansing fluid being provided and the dispensing device being arranged to dispense cleansing fluid on to a dispensing zone of the tray, this zone lying at one end of the tray within the path of relative movement of the tray and the cleaning member.

With the rearing arrangement according to the invention cleaning of the cage bottoms is seldom required as most of the excreta falls through the openwork cage bottoms onto the trays located beneath them. Because the trays are fiat and because the cleaning procedure is mechanised, the space required for cleaning work is appreciably reduced. The number of rearing arrangements in a given space can be correspondingly raised, and this contributes to a greater economic return of the whole installation. In areas with a cold climate the heating output required from the air-conditioning plant is markedly diminished. The most significant advantage of the rearing arrangement according to the invention, however, is that the cleaning work is mechanised and can be completely automated.

Further features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description of one preferred embodiment given, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically in perspective view the preferred embodiment of a rearing arrangment according to the invention, having two stories;

FIGURE 2 illustrates diagrammatically one possible formof cleaning device and driving mechanism therefor;

FIGURE 3 shows diagrammatically one possible form of one portion of the cleaning device in cross-section and FIGURE 4 shows diagrammatically in perspective view one possible form of tray that may be employed in a rearing arrangement according to the invention.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the form of rearing arrangement shown therein consists of a lower story 1 and an upper story 2. In each story there is a set of two rows of cages 3. The cages consist of wire grille walls and openwork floors and have hinged covers. The floors of the cages are not shown in the drawings but perforated or openwork members such as grids or expanded metal sheets may be utilised. Under each set of cages there is a flat tray 4 which can be fastened, for example, to the posts 15 which carry the whole cage arrangement. The excreta produced by the animals in the cages 3 fall through the openwork floors onto the trays 4. In every tray 4 there is a reciprocating cleaning device which is shown in detail in FIGURE 2. The cleaning device consists of a slidable cleaning member 5 extending over the width of the tray and adapted to slide to and fro in the tray. The sliding member '5 is attached to the upper portion of an endless flexible driving element 9, for example a rope or a chain. The lower portion of the driving element 9 extends beneath the tray 4. The driving element 9 is guided over pulleys 16 and 17 which are fastened to the structure of the arrangement in any appropriate manner. The pulley 17 is driven round by a driving motor 13, by way of a rope or chain drive 18. In the form of cleaning device illustrated, two driving elements 9 are each provided with a pulley 16 and a pulley 17. As may be seen from FIG- URES 2 and 3, the sliding member 5 consists of a main unit 10, which may for example consist of stainless steel or plastic, and a cleaning unit 11, fastened so as to be re placeable in said main unit, the cleaning unit 11 consisting preferably of a sponge-like material, for instance foam rubber. The fastening of the cleaning unit 11 is effected by means of bolts 19 and nuts 20. Any other method of fixing, for example by clamping the cleaning unit 11 in place, may be employed. In order that the sliding member 5 may fit well, even if the tray 4 has uneven areas, it is composed of several main units 10 arranged together in a row across the width of the tray and connected by connecting pieces 12, which may be rubber straps or any other flexible form of connection.

From the drawings it will be readily seen that the sliding member 5 can be moved to and fro in the tray with the aid of the electric driving motor 13. In the preferred instance of a motor drive the control of the reciprocating movement is effected with the aid of conventional limit switches which are arranged in any convenient manner so that they are actuated at the terminal positions of the sliding member 5, i.e., at the ends 6 and 7 of the tray 4, and initiate a switching command signal.

At one end 6 of the tray 4, funnel-shaped bounding walls 14 are provided, and these terminate in an outlet 8. At the other end 7 of the tray 4 the dispensing device for the cleansing fluid is arranged. This consists of a pipe 21 that extends over the width of the tray 4. The pipe 21 is linked, by way of a hose 22 and a valve 23, which may 'be an electro-valve, to a storage receptacle for the cleansing fluid. The pipe 21 is provided with openings 24 to emit a spray, and these are pointed at the surface of the tray 4. The pipe 21 of the dispensing device is so arranged that the cleansing fluid is dispensed on to a dispensing zone at the end 7 of the tray, this zone lying inside the path of movement of the cleaning member 5.

It is particularly advantageous to control the mechanised cleaning device with a programmed controlling mechanism 25 so linked to the limit switches and the electro-valve belonging to the dispensing device that at predetermined intervals of time a certain sequence in the cleaning procedure automatically results. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 the right-hand end 7 of the tray 4 extends beyond the pipe 21 belonging to the dispensing device. Initially the sliding member 5 rests beyond pipe 21 at the end of the tray. At a predetermined time the programmed controlling mechanism 25 switches the dispensing device on (the electro-valve opens) and allows cleansing fluid to flow from the pipe 21 onto the tray 4 for the predetermined period. The driving motor 13 belonging to the driving mechanism is then switched on to operate at the required speed, so that the sliding member 5 moves from the right-hand end 7 of the tray 4 to the left-hand end 6 of the tray and in this movement pushes the cleansing fluid and the excreta, now softened by the cleansing fluid, as well as other debris, forwards and finally pushes such material up to the funnel-shaped bounding Walls 14 and into the outlet 8. At the left-hand end of the path of movement of the sliding member 5, that is, at the end 6 of the tray 4, a limit switch 26 gives a switching command signal to the programmed controlling mechanism 25; this switching command signal causes the driving motor 13 to reverse, so that the sliding member 5 then returns to its initial position at the right-hand end 7 of the tray 4, whereupon the driving motor 13 is switched off by a second limited switch 27.

As may be seen from FIGURE 1, the outlets 8 from the individual stories form a main outlet line which preferably leads to a separating plant, in which there ensues either a preliminary sedimentation of the efiluent or even a partial recovery of the cleansing fluid.

Various modifications of the above described arrangement are possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A breeding device for piglets comprising, in combination, a plurality of adjacently disposed cages, a perforated floor defined in said cages, a substantially flat, elongated, waste-receiving tray disposed under said cages and floors having a first end and a second end, an elongated tray cleaning member supported upon said tray transversely extending thereacross including a sponge-like material directly engaging said tray, said tray cleaning member material interconnected by flexible means whereby said cleaning member may adapt itself to the configuration of said tray, driving means including an electric motor connected to said cleaning member adapted to translate said cleaning member from said first tray end to said second end and return said cleaning member to said first end, waste receiving means defined at said second end of said tray, a cleansing liquid distributing conduit transversely extending across said tray, said conduit being located adjacent said first end and intermediate said cleaning member and said second end when said cleaning member is disposed at said first end whereby said conduit is capable of depositing cleansing liquid on said tray forwardly of the direction of movement of said cleaning member before being translated from said tray first end to said second end, an electrically operated valve controlling the supply of cleansing liquid to said conduit, a first limit switch disposed adjacent said tray first end adapted to sense the presence of said cleaning member at said first end, a second limit switch disposed adjacent said tray second end adapted to sense the presence of said cleaning member at said second end, and timeactuated programed control means connected to said motor, switches and valve automatically regulating movement of said cleaning member and dispensing of said cleansing liquid whereby a predetermined amount of liquid is dispensed on said tray prior to movement of said 'cleaning'member from said first end to said second end and said cleaning member is automatically returned to said first end after being moved to said second end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,257,734 10/ 1941 Cornell 11921 2,383,326 8/ 1945 Lovell 119-22 2,523,615 9/ 1950 Fell 11922 2,702,503 2/ 1955 Wildhaber 119-22 X 2,805,644 9/ 1957 Lieberman 11922 2,970,567 2/1961 Rubin 119-22 FOREIGN PATENTS 934,614 12/ 1955 Germany. 867,284 5/ 1961 Great Britain.

r SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner. consisting of a plurality of sections of substantially rigid HUGH R. CHAMBLEE, Examiner. 

